Centennial's depth highlights star-studded Chandler Rotary meet

By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

Going the distance and then some

Las Vegas Centennial began competition Saturday winning the girls distance medley relay in a meet-record 12:28.31.

Twelve hours later, the Bulldogs took third in the 4 x 400 relay in 4:01.87.

In between, Centennial captured the 4 x 800 relay in U.S. No. 7 9:30.78, the No. 2 time in meet history, and was represented in the championship sections of the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200, demonstrating the strength and depth is again present to make a run at a sixth consecutive Nevada Division I state title.

Alexis Gourrier, Karina Haymore and Addie Hall were on the DMR and 4 x 800 relays, with Talie Bonds running the 400 leg on the DMR and Kayla Roberts leading off the 4 x 800 after earlier running in the seeded 800 and 3,200 races.

Gourrier also competed in the 1,600 and 3,200, with Haymore running in the 400 and 800. They were joined by Cheyenne Jones and Peyton Green on the 4 x 400.

The next big challenge for Centennial will be April 8-9 at the Arcadia Invitational, especially in the 4 x 800 where potential showdowns with Great Oak and West Ranch could materialize.

Ascending among the hurdling hierarchy

Elsja Mecham of Summit Academy (Utah) set the only meet record on the track with her U.S. No. 2 42.02 in the 300 hurdles, following a victory in the 100 hurdles in 14.23.

The former Rigby (Idaho) standout excelled in the 60 hurdles during indoor season, but has shifted her focus to the longer distance outdoors, with the goal of breaking the state record of 41.54 by Brenna Porter of Sky View in 2013.

Mecham eclipsed the 2014 meet record of 42.04 set by Las Vegas Centennial star Tianna Bonds, who attends University of Arizona and was in attendance to watch younger sister Talie compete for the Bulldogs.

Roosevelt sophomore Breanna Bernard-Joseph was stride for stride with Mecham until the final hurdle and ran 42.98, No. 4 in meet history and equal to 11th in the country this year.

Welcome to the club

The only athlete to reach 41 feet in the girls triple jump in meet history before Saturday was former Chandler High and current Oregon star Jasmine Todd, who leaped 41-5 in 2011.

Mountain Pointe (Arizona) junior Nura Muhammad joined that elite list with a 41-foot jump in the fifth round -- an improvement of more than a foot from her personal best -- to edge Burges (Texas) junior Arielle Mack, who had leaped 40-1.25.

Muhammad ranks second nationally to Agoura junior Tara Davis, the U.S. leader at 41-5.75 and the only female jumper to surpass 41 feet both indoor and outdoor so far this year.

A showdown involving Davis, Muhammad and reigning indoor national champion Chinne Okoronkwo of Mountlake Terrace (Washington) looms April 9 at the Arcadia Invitational.

An exceptional exhibition

Javelin competition was held for the first time at the meet and Marcos de Niza (Arizona) sophomore Carlan Naisant made it a memorable debut with a U.S. No. 2 performance of 192-7.

Naisant, whose older brother Marcus placed second in the exhibition at 186-1, improved on his personal best by six feet. Naisant set a USATF Junior Olympic meet record of 185-9 in 2014.

There were 24 boys and 15 girls who participated in the exhibition Saturday, with Chaparral's Maja Ahmann winning the female competition with a throw of 120-2.

Naisant, who hopes to have the opportunity to compete for a state championship in the event before he graduates, has a goal of throwing 210 feet by the end of the year.

A fond farewell, for now

Aside from her experiences in her home state of Colorado and her future home of Oregon, Air Academy senior Katie Rainsberger has enjoyed many career highlights in Arizona and her 800 victory in U.S. No. 5 2:12.02 capped her third trip to Chandler High in impressive fashion.

Rainsberger won the NXN Southwest Regional as a junior and a senior and twice set the course record at the Desert Twilight Festival, in addition to winning the mile at NIKE Chandler Rotary as a sophomore. She expects to return to the Grand Canyon state in college to compete against Arizona and Arizona State.

Rainsberger ranks No. 2 in meet history in the 800 and mile, trailing only former Desert Vista star Dani Jones, now at Colorado.

Washington reigns again in Arizona

Although Canyon del Oro junior Turner Washington didn't improve upon his national-leading 201-4 in the discus throw, he still set a meet record at 191-2, the second-best performance of his career.

Washington broke the oldest boys meet record of 187-9 set by Tempe's Dwight Johnson in 1988. His effort March 12 at the Desert Tune Up still ranks No. 3 in state history.

If Washington is going to challenge Johnson's 1987 state record of 212-11, he will have to do so in Arizona, since paperwork needed to be filed in the fall to allow him to participate in out-of-state competition, thus preventing him from attending the Arcadia Invitational or Mt. SAC Relays in April.

More Texas talents

Cody Johnson of Franklin (Texas) won three events, capping the meet by contributing to the victorious 4 x 400 relay in 3:19.03.

But the senior knows how difficult it is to distinguish himself in his own state, especially in the hurdles with national leaders Bryce Douglas of Allen in the 110 hurdles at 13.64 and Norman Grimes of Canyon in the 300 hurdles in 36.40.

Johnson ran a personal-best 14.41 in the 110 hurdles and clocked 37.69 in the 300 hurdles, No. 3 in meet history and 11th in the country this year.

Daniel Bernal of Eastwood, who won the boys championship race at the Desert Twilight Festival in the fall, added another impressive victory in Arizona with a personal-best 9:15.23 in the 3,200.

Rivalry renewed

Mountain Pointe ended Chandler's nine-year reign as Arizona Division 1 girls state champion with a 108-101 victory last year, due in large part to Chandler not executing a baton pass in the 4 x 100 prelims, preventing the Wolves from running in the finals and opening the door for Mountain Pointe to win the relay title.

The rivals squared off again Saturday, with both relays producing their fastest times of the season, as Mountain Pointe continued to hold the edge with a 47.10 to 47.23 victory.

Freshman Kenya Coburn was a late addition to the lineup, joining Danielle Burns, Brittany Patterson and Autumn Smith for Mountain Pointe, which also prevailed March 5 against Chandler at the Aztec Invite.

Chandler won the 4 x 400 relay in 3:51.02, the second-fastest time in meet history, with 200 winner Anaya Bailey joining Anna Foreman, LaMeyah Charlton and Morgan Foster for the Wolves.

Putting her best foot forward

After plantar fasciitis in her foot that nearly resulted in a stress fracture cut short her cross country season following a record-setting performance at the Arizona state championships, Rio Rico junior Allie Schadler showed no signs of being slowed by injury in winning the girls mile in 4:55.79.

Schadler, who clocked 10:42.06 in the first 3,200 of her career March 11 at the Husky Invite, ran the first mile of her season at Chandler, with a 1,600 split of 4:54.18. She is looking to possibly compete in both the 800 and mile April 8-9 at the Arcadia Invitational.

Desert Vista junior Baylee Jones took second in the mile in 4:58.93, with a 1,600 split of 4:57.11.

Playing the field

Mountain Pointe's success wasn't just limited to the track, as junior Kayleigh Conlon set a meet record in the girls shot put with a personal-best 45-8, an improvement of more than three feet.

Conlon also won the discus with a throw of 135-11, No. 4 in meet history.

Mesquite senior Kyle Downey cleared a personal-best 16 feet in the pole vault, the eighth athlete in meet history to achieve the feat.

Vail Christian (Colorado) senior Taylor Alexander became the ninth girls pole vaulter in meet history to clear at least 12-3.

St. Mary's Catholic junior Quintella Johnson joined six other girls in meet history to clear 5-8 in the high jump. Johnson had cleared a personal-best 5-10 on March 9 and was aiming to eclipse the 1995 meet record of 5-10.25 by Highland's Jenna McDowell.